Top 7 Child Development Theories

Are your kids struggling with learning as well? Don’t worry whether you’re a teacher or a parent, here you can find the most important basic child development theories and techniques theorized by the most famous psychologists.
 

Here is the list of the 7 most important child development techniques.

1. Operant Conditioning
2. Trial and Error
3. Law of Readiness
4. Law of Belongingness
5. Positive Reinforcement
6. Immediate Feedback
7. Classical Conditioning

The Role of Behaviorism in Child Development

Behaviorism is an umbrella term under which different kinds of children's development theories flourished. Psychologists such as B. F. Skinner, Edward Lee Thorndike, and Ivan Pavlov are considered to be the most well-known behaviorists. Although they worked on two different types of conditioning, all of them were united by the same belief that behaviors are influenced by the consequences.

Let’s explore different ways through which we can make it easier for children to learn new behaviors with ease.

Child Development through Operant Conditioning

Fun Fact: B. F. Skinner is known as the father of Operant Conditioning.

B.F. Skinner and Edward Thorndike believed that the results of an action decide the possibility of the same action being repeated in the future or not. The term ‘Reinforcement’ means the consequences of the action taken place. It can be positive or negative.

Let's dive deeper into some of the very interesting techniques of child development by Edward Lee Thorndike.

Trial and Error Behavior 

Trial and Error’ is a learning technique that focuses on the importance of experimentation and learning from experience. It suggests that the actions that lead to positive outcomes are more likely to be repeated than the actions that lead to negative ones.

This technique is very useful when it comes children to learning new behaviors such as riding a bike, solving a math problem, or a jigsaw puzzle. Children try different techniques until finally explore what works best for them.

This technique works wonders when it comes to child development. It not only teaches children the importance of persistence and resilience, but it also enhances their confidence, makes them creative, and helps them adapt to new situations and environments.

Law of Readiness

The law of readiness was also proposed by Edward Thorndike. It simply suggests that an individual should perform certain tasks when they feel mentally and physically prepared. This readiness is mainly influenced by their past experiences, motivations, and interests. By identifying your children’s optimal learning time, you can help them learn quicker and better.

Let's be honest, not everyone is an early bird but some individuals work more enthusiastically and productively at 5 AM while others find 10 PM to be more peaceful and productive. By applying this law of readiness, children can work smarter rather than harder. It motivates them because they do it at the right time, engages them, and develops the attitude of getting things done without overtiring themselves. 

Law of Belongingness 

The Law of Belongingness simply emphasizes the importance of the relationship between learning and real-life situations. By providing students with examples from their own lives, teachers can enhance students' learning abilities, leading to a significant impact on child development.

Teachers and parents can demonstrate to their students and children how things actually work through visual aids, multimedia, experimentation, or simply by providing examples from everyday life instead of overwhelming them with abstract ideas. In doing so, they can contribute to child development and make learning more interesting and engaging. 

B. F. Skinner’s remarkable techniques for child development

Skinner made significant contributions to the field of child development through his work in behaviorism and operant conditioning. Let’s discover how Skinner's techniques can make a positive impact on students’ behavior and achievement.

Application of Positive Reinforcement

B.F. Skinner believed that the consequences of an action determine the recurrence of the action in the future. If an action leads to positive and pleasant outcomes, the individual is going to repeat it in the future also and vice versa.

When it comes to teaching your kids some new behaviors, positive reinforcement comes in handy. It can be as little as a high five, which can lead to better consequences. A few words of encouragement, such as 'Good job', 'Well done', or 'I’m proud of you', can make a huge impact on a child’s motivation, hence leading to child development. So next time you teach your kids how to ride a bike or solve a math problem, be patient, and don’t forget to give them little words of encouragement.

Immediate Feedback

Immediate feedback also does the same job. When it comes to boosting your child’s confidence, provide them with immediate feedback. It can be verbal, written, in the form of grades, or just a little act of love. Reassure them that they are doing a wonderful job.

You may also use the token economy technique. It’s another way of providing children with immediate feedback, an act of reassurance that they are doing just fine. In this technique, the individuals get points or coins after completing certain academic tasks. It not only encourages them and develops their interests but also increases their confidence.

Pavlov’s classical conditioning

Ivan Pavlov’s classical conditioning is famous for forming associations between stimuli. It can be done by pairing two stimuli in order to produce a conditioned response. Ever wonder why a crying baby seems to calm down instantly when given a Baby Pacifier Feeder? Well, It is because the pacifier serves as a comforting stimulus, which produces a comforting response by soothing the baby. The same technique can apply to studies and other behaviors as well. For example, to make studies interesting and fun, parents or teachers could apply the technique of Association Building.

You can make boring tasks more interesting by pairing them with something that interests your child. Let’s be honest, not everyone likes math class, and it can be very tiresome sometimes to convince your kid to finish a math problem. But hey, no worries because now you can make it interesting for your kid by pairing math with music or art. You can take an art or music class right after the mathematics class. In this way, your kid will be interested in performing the activity that he likes instead of draining all his energy and interest on solving problems. This technique can be very helpful in the cognitive as well as behavioristic development of children.

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed some important techniques crafted by some of the most influential figures in the field of Psychology to help your child in his behavior development. Whether it is the technique of readiness, where your child will work according to his own will when he feels ready; trial and error learning, in which children practice failure until they figure out a way out; the Law of belonging, when children learn through real-life examples; positive reinforcement and immediate feedback, when children know that they will be rewarded for their good deeds, which motivates them to do better in life; or Pavlov’s classical conditioning, when one stimulus is associated with another stimulus to produce a conditioned response.

Every child is unique and has potential. But it is the parents’ job to recognize that potential in their children to help them not only boost their confidence but become the best versions of themselves. We assure you that by figuring out which technique works best for your child, you can make it a lot easier for your child to reach his optimal potential without straining themselves.